The joy of forgiveness

SUMMARY: The author reflects on their experience of confessing and repenting their sins to God and finding forgiveness and joy in their life. They encourage readers to do the same, reminding them that unconfessed sin can rob them of joy and lead them to sadness and misery. The author also reminds readers that God is forgiving and merciful, and that confessing and repenting their sins can bring them closer to God and give them a sense of direction and perspective in their life. They encourage readers to surrender their hearts to God and experience the joy of a forgiven life.

That warm Sunday in January comes to mind when I gave my life to the Lord. I felt so empty, so dirty from the damage caused by my sinful life, that I never imagined that God would forgive me. Shame tormented me, my pride crumbled in His presence, and the tears held by my false and confused appreciation of need blurred my vision and bathed my insides. I had before me the most difficult of tasks, the most difficult: confess my sins, sincerely repent and feel the certainty of God's willingness to forgive me. Could it be possible? Would I feel peace in my heart again and ... be happy?

Years ago I wrote in my personal testimony: And the Lord appeared to me without expecting it. The foundation of a pedestal that I had built on a swampy, dangerous, moving and infertile ground shook me with a breath ... and one of the many eyeless mornings in which I died in those days, he took me in his arms and I was able to say a prayer to him. desperate, broken, hopeful and wet ...